No immediate review of Guv opinion on Ashok Chavan in Adarsh scam: CBI

Chavan had resigned as Chief Minister of Maharashtra after the scam surfaced.

New Delhi |
Published on:January 15, 2014 5:38 pm

CBI has decided not to seek a review as of now of Maharashtra Governor K Sankarnarayanan’s opinion declining permission to it to prosecute former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh Housing Society scam case.

Sources said that according to legal opinion received by the agency, it can, however, seek a review of the Governor’s rejection of sanction for prosecution if it manages to bring out new evidence or legal infirmity in the order.

They said since all the gathered evidence indicating alleged involvement of Chavan had already been placed before the Governor, it will not be immediately filing for the review of the Governor’s order.

However, they said, in case the agency, during its probe, manages to find some new material which further boosts the case against the former Chief Minister, it would not hesitate to seek a review of the Governor’s opinion.

The sources said the developments will soon be shared with the competent court in Mumbai.

Chavan, who resigned as Chief Minister of Maharashtra after the scam surfaced, was among 12 persons charge sheeted by CBI in connection with the case.

The former Chief Minister had challenged inclusion of his name in the charge sheet, saying no sanction for prosecution was taken from the Governor whereas CBI countered it by saying since he was a former minister at the time of being charge sheeted and there was no need for sanction.